Chapter 74: Ape, Beetle, and Bear

Oliver felt a shiver run down his back.

“And there you have it.” Zarine shifted into a more comfortable position. “I’m sorry, Oliver, I truly am. But this is a once in a hundred lifetimes opportunity for me. I have no choice.”

“But you do!” Oliver protested. “Let’s just talk about this, Zarine!”

“We have been talking about it,” the Demon said listlessly. “You, on two fronts – with your thoughts as well as your words. We’re at an impasse, Ollie. You never want to use my power again; I can feel it. And I need you to.”

“So you’d kill me?” Oliver asked in a strangled voice.

She turned her head away from him, leaving him staring at a hill of white fur. “Yes,” she said. “If it was my only option, I would.”

Oliver had been desperately hoping to find justification for what Zarin had done, to force it all to make sense. He did not want to believe Zarine was against him. Even now, he still did not.